


I Don't Wanna Miss This

by anawrites



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: ( If you count sex in the backroom of an empty coffee shop public ), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Brief Mention of Haylor, Car Sex, Cigarettes, Cuddling, Dry Humping, Fluff and Smut, Hand Jobs, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Oral Sex, Public Sex, Rimming, Shower Sex, Smoking, Teen Dad Harry, Uni Student Louis, Wall Sex, teen dad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-14 21:43:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4581165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anawrites/pseuds/anawrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is a single father of a five year old little girl who works at the coffee shop Louis, a Uni student, tends to go to every day for his ten AM caffeine fix. Harry has been afraid to date anyone in fear of them being scared to find out about his daughter, but the second he meets Louis, well, let's just say he's still scared but also open to ---- what if.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a fic that's been a long time coming on my part. I've had this idea in my head for over two years now, but I guess you can sort of say that I've been a little.... Insecure about my writing. But here we are now, finally putting this into motion, and I'm honestly both terrified and excited for posting this. Keep in mind that **this is not real, this never happened and it will never happen - well, it probably could but we all know it won't. Everything in this story belongs to my own creation; the characters, the plot line, the twists and turns, and the writing. Do not translate this story unless I give you permission to do so. Thank you!**
> 
> I know this is most likely another typical coffee shop au, but well, it's also a lot more than that. This one sort of goes out to some of my Tumblr followers who have been supporting me into writing this. Hope you all like it and if you ever have any questions or even ideas for future chapter, don't hesitate to hit me up on my [tumblr](http://louisdragsmedown.tumblr.com).

Tiny feet padded across the carpeted floor towards a half ajared bedroom door. A tiny palm pushed it open, revealing a twenty-one year old with brown curls sprawled on his bed, sheets covering his waist and light snores leaving his lips.

It takes couple of minutes for the five year old girl to climb onto the bed, but once she did manage to do so, a triumphant smile formed on her lips, a giggle leaving soon after. Harry didn't move, his breathing still incredibly steady, eyes tightly shut except for the occasional fluttering of his eyelashes.

The blonde girl pressed one of her tiny fingers right below Harry's ribs, and upon seeing no response whatsoever, a pout instantly formed on her lips, arms crossing in front of her chest like she'd seen her daddy do so many times before. 

“Daddy. Wake up.” With no response, the girl, once again, poked a finger right below his ribs, then another in his stomach, blue eyes looking up expectantly.

“Daddy! You promised morning cuddles.” The voice was almost breaking, tears welling up in the blonde's eyes, a sob leaving her lips seconds later. 

“Hmpf.” It's all that left Harry's lips, but it was enough of an indication for the little girl who's lips quirked up in a smile and who's body easily sat on his stomach seconds later.

“Alright, alright. I'm up! I'm up!” A sleepy laugh bubbled past Harry's lips, dimples more than prominent when his eyes blinked open to look at the girl on top of him. “Did I promise morning cuddles or morning tickles?” 

Eyebrow raising up, Harry's fingers wiggled up above him before finding the girl's sides and tickling her, automatically earning a loud giggle followed by squealing laughter filling up his bedroom. “Daddy! No-- no stop!!!! You promised morning cuddles and pancakes! Lots and lots of pancakes!” The words were said in between giggles and even snorts, tiny hands trying to pry away Harry's large ones. 

A dimpled smile was spread wide on Harry's lips, teeth visible while green eyes sparkled up at the blonde girl on his stomach. “Okay, okay. I promised cuddles and pancakes. So how about I make pancakes first, then you give daddy a quick cuddle before auntie Gemma picks you up for school, alright?” 

That caused a bright smile to form on the five year old her lips, pressing a quick kiss on Harry's nose before she crawled off the bed and ran towards the kitchen, yelling, “Aunt Gemma is coming! Aunt Gemma is coming!”, which in return caused Harry to laugh, loudly, while getting out of bed himself.

. . . 

A yawn left Louis' lips the second he walked out of his shared flat, one he shared with Zayn - which he still doesn't know how he got roped into that, really - beanie secured on his head and one strap of his bag hanging on his shoulder. 

He's not entirely too sure how he managed to get out of bed at nine in the morning of all hours, but he figured it had something to do with Zayn coming home at 6 in the morning, door slamming shut and things clattering to the floor. If that was any indication at all that Zayn was drunk, the sleeping body on the sofa, snoring louder than he'd ever heard before, should be. 

Scratching the back of his head, Louis stiffled another yawn before walking down the stairs of his apartment building, the bright morning light of Monday morning already giving him a headache. He had never been so grateful for his ten am morning class, and most of all, never been so grateful for the small coffee shop near campus.

Truth be told, living with Zayn wasn’t that bad, per say, it just meant he had to deal with less sleep on the nights Zayn decided to spend a couple of hours at the local pub with Liam and Niall. The amount of times Louis had told Zayn he could crash at Liam’s is kind of insane, really, but then again, Louis knows that if those two would ever stay the night, it would be nothing but sexual tension; an overload of it even. So he just stopped telling Zayn and ended up dealing with 6am wake-up calls due to slamming doors and drunk snoring ( and the occasional ‘why doesn’t Liam love me’ whine in between ).

Squinting his eyes, Louis tugged up his black skinnies, leaned down to fix the bottom of those said skinnies so at least some of his ankles were visible with the Vans he was wearing, before he took off towards the nearest tube station, hands tucked securely in the pockets of his oversized jumper.

. . . 

The coffee shop was crowded, as it was usually around this time of the morning, but Harry didn’t mind. His body easily made his way through the crowd of people when he carried a tray of coffee cups and pastries to customers seated at their table. It was something he loved, well not more than he loved his daughter, but it was definitely second on his list.

The second ten am hit, he headed straight towards the counter, where he'd be starting his newly found position as serving coffee for those we needed a quick fix and couldn't sit down. It was new, it was nerve wrecking even, but Harry was more than excited, more than thrilled even, to be able to take orders, place names on cups and pass the orders down to those who actually prepared them. Granted, there was a slight part of him that was more than terrified, he couldn't exactly show the fear to the customers. As Liam had once told him ‘ _Customers are like dogs. They’ll smell the fear and purposely make you even more nervous_ ’and well, Harry was  **terrified**. 

Trying to push that fear away however, the curly haired twenty-one year old straightened his back ( making him all that taller ) and put on his best smiling face and turned his attention towards the first customer.

“Hi, I’m Harry. Can I take your order, please?”

. . .

Pushing open the door of the coffee shop, Louis could already feel the difference in temperature, and it caused his whole body to shiver. See, London isn't really that cold, hell, it's probably more decent than anyone living in Russia really, but after hardly any sleep last night, he could definitely feel the difference in temperature when he stepped inside. Removing his beanie from his hair, Louis instantly ran his fingers through the matted locks and shook them furiously, enough so his fringe would fall back on his forehead and his hair was just as messy as when he first woke up that morning - well, a little more tamed but still.

Looking around the shop however, his jaw clenched and he had  to take in a deep breath, because holy shit, it was crowded.

“Fuck me.”

He murmured to himself, stuffing his beanie in one of the pockets of his oversized sweater and pulling out his phone to check the time. It was 10:05, and usually, out of sheer experience really, it wasn't that crowded. Most people came around nine and by nine thirty the coffee shop was calm and Louis would have enough time to ponder over his order and to be absolutely specific when he gave it to the person behind the counter.

Blue eyes continued to scan across the shop carefully, almost as if he was  _trying_ to find the source of all the crowd, but it wasn't until his eyes managed to linger on a new face behind the counter that his mind registered just  _why_ there was a sudden amount of people in his safe little heaven. 

Behind that counter stood a new face, one he hadn't seen before ( or probably hadn't paid attention to up until now ), and one that could probably light up an entire room with the smile he carried on his face. Brown, curly hair that hung past his shoulders, green eyes that seemed to be even greener with the coffee shop lights and a dimpled smile that seemed to make every girl swoon and fan themselves when they walked away with their cup in hand. Louis could  _actually_ hear the squealing when the door swung open and shut causing the Doncaster lad to roll his eyes, but his lips to also curl up in a smile.

Louis was amused, really, because he knew that if his younger sister Lottie would have been here, she would have done the exact same thing. Except she would have done it in his ear; loud and with many, many giggles following right after. And she would most likely tug at his arm constantly when the new boy even remotely looked in their direction.

Out of breath but also buzzing with excitement, Harry was taking names and orders as if his life depended on it. Making sure that on every cup he wrote a name on, he also added a little drawing such as smiley faces, hearts, flowers... Anything his mind came up with, he did it. Lucky for him, most of the customers were Uni students that headed straight to class and most likely wouldn't keep the cup long enough to show their friends, but when the occasional business man did give in an order, he strictly stuck to a firm line under the name, or even an exclamation mark.

“Hi! I’m Harry, can I take your order?”

His voice was rather calm despite the fact that he had to take in a deep breath the second his eyes landed on a smaller boy, hair shaggy and eyes as blue as the ocean. Harry kept his typical dimpled smile on his lips, but the boy in front of him, one who couldn't be much older than him, was definitely breathtakingly beautiful. And Louis? Louis was so damn amused but his heart was rapidly pounding in his chest, because now he actually understood the giggling girls who left and entered the coffee shop.

“Just a regular English Breakfast Tea to go, with a splash of milk.”

Louis' voice was filled with amusement when he said his order, head tilting to the side by an inch, eyes crinkling enough to show just how amused he actually was. But looking at Harry up close and personal, well, he had to admit, the kid definitely had it's charm, what with his dimpled smile and bright green eyes.

“And your name?”

“Louis.”

“Louis. Alright. Coming right up. That'll be four pounds sixty.”

Harry wrote the name down on a regular sized cup and added a small smile next to it, lips twitching up in a smile when he set the marker down and handed the cup to someone in the back who took control over Louis' order. Louis; it was definitely a name and a face Harry was going to try and remember, even if he wasn't sure he'd ever see this boy again, it would at least be a great story to tell Annie. 

Handing a five pound bill to Harry, Louis licked his lips slowly, eyes glancing down at the phone in his other hand, quickly shooting a text to Lottie.

_got a new lad at the coffee shop. right up your street too ;) x_

It didn't even take a second for his sister to reply back, practically begging him for a picture and really, Louis could already feel his cheeks burn because  _how the hell_ would he ever get away with asking for a picture.

Clearing his throat quickly, he brought his phone up to eye level, switching the texting app with the camera app. Squinting his eyes for just a second, he pressed the camera button quickly before sending the picture to Lottie, tucking his phone back into the pocket of his sweater.

“Here’s forty p back. Your order should be with you in a couple of minutes. Enjoy your day.”

Taking the money from Harry, their hands lingered on one another, even for just a second, before Louis pulled back, head nodding.

“Cheers. You too.”

For some god forsaken reason, Louis smirked up at Harry, eyes moving across Harry's face for just a second before they moved to the side, as if to indicate the many other girls that were waiting for their order. Stepping aside, Louis leaned his petite frame against an empty spot on the counter, scrolling through his phone absentmindedly. He tried his best to ignore the text he received from Lottie, instead moving his thumb swiftly off the screen towards his contacts, thumb scrolling down to Niall's number and pressing the call button, phone already at his ear.

“ _Lou! Where the fuck you at, mate? Did ya hear ‘bout that coffee shop that’s got every girl there?_ ”

Of course Niall was already caught up on everything, causing Louis to just chuckle to himself, head shaking softly.

“At said coffee shop. Yeah, ---”

“Got an order for Louis?”

The voice that came in between his words caused his head to turn to the side, hand raising up before taking the cup in his hand. Letting his eyes flicker towards Harry - who was more than busy with another set of giggling school girls - Louis shook his head and walked out of the coffee shop.

“Should see all the fuzz about it, Ni. Fuckin’ mental these girls are. On me way though. Regular spot?”

Niall chuckled at Louis’ words, his chuckle quickly turned into a bubbly laughter which only caused Louis to laugh as well, bringing the cup up to his lips, sipping from it.

“Fuck! Shit!”

He hissed the second the hot liquid hit his tongue, he nearly spit out the tea, forgetting just how hot tea was when it was finished.

“Yeah, regular spot. Hurry up or I’ll eat you’re muffin!”

Niall’s thick, Irish accent filled the horn, causing Louis to roll his eyes and laugh before nodding his head and hanging up the phone.

. . .

Two hours later, and Harry was finally on his one hour break, sweat slightly dripping from his forehead and breath completely sucked from his lungs. He was more than exhausted, but the excitement still coursed through his veins. Truthfully, Harry could, most likely, still do another hour if it hadn't been for his stomach growling loud enough for the customers to hear. Which is why his manager had told him to take an hour break and enjoy it. 

Just like with every break however, Harry made his way to Annie's school, stepping up the several steps and pushing open  the large front door. He received some waves from girls he knew were friends of Annie, girls who instantly ran towards classrooms or coat hangers to take their lunch pack. In a way, Harry was quite lucky he could take his break when Annie had lunch time, because it gave him the chance to bring her some chocolate chip muffins and a chocolate chip cookie from work.

Knocking his fist on the door of a classroom, he looked towards Annie's teacher with a knowing smile, the teacher automatically giving him a nod. 

“Daddy!!!!”

Annie's voice was loud, but it caused his lips to curl up in a dimpled smile, hands extending for the girl to jump in, craddling her against his side. 

“Ready for lunch? I brought you muffins. And a cookie you can share with Lucy.”

Annie nodded eagerly, Lucy yelling a ‘thank you’ from the back of the classroom which caused Harry to wink at her. Turning on his heel, Harry walked out of the classroom, setting Annie back on the ground and following her outside of the building out on the court yard.

Sitting down at their usual spot on a bench, Harry handed the bag with chocolate chip muffins to Annie, who instantly gave him a muffin and they both delved in, smiles bright on their lips and laughs leaving their throats. 

Despite the fact that, five years ago, Harry didn't think he'd be a great father, he definitely proved himself wrong. Having Annie in his life had changed everything, and while he managed to get his degree at the age of eighteen, when Annie was two, Harry knew he had to get a job to be able to provide for his daughter. Granted, when the mother had walked out on him once the baby was born, he never would have expected any of this, but now? Now he couldn't be more grateful. Annie was his whole life, was the reason he stepped up his game and stood up to raising his daughter - luckily, with the help of his mother, Anne, step-father, Robin and big sister, Gemma.

“Did Aunt Gemma do your hair? It’s really pretty. Think she’d want to braid my hair sometime?”

Annie instantly laughed at Harry's question, but she nodded her head eagerly, nudging his arm before resting her tiny head on his shoulder, causing Harry to wrap his arm around her and pull her in a hug.

“If you ask her nicely. Reaaaaaally nicely. Just have to say please. A lot.”

Snickering at that, Harry nodded his head, pressing a soft kiss on top of her hair, hand rubbing her shoulder softly. 

For some reason, Annie had been his good luck charm ever since she was born, and that was one of the reasons why his parents and sister had decided to help him out. She managed to swoop them away with her big blue eyes and that was it. They all cooed and loved her ever since. And god, was Harry relieved. 

It wasn't that he was mad at Taylor for leaving Annie with him, but he wasn't exactly all that thrilled about it either. Knowing full and well that if she did decide to come back into their lives, that Harry wouldn't even remotely give her the time of day. And if it was ever brought to court, he knew he would win - seeing as how he did raise her, gave them a home and gave her an education he knew she wouldn't have if Taylor were still in the picture.

“You ready to go to grandma’s for the weekend? Have a nice sleepover while Daddy, Uncle Liam and Auntie Gemma redecorate your entire room? Race cars and red and blue colours, right?”

“No silly billy! Princesses and pink!”

A laugh bubbled past Harry's lips, lips pressing another soft kiss to the top of Annie's head before nodding his head.

“I know, baby. I know. Promise it’ll be Princesses and a lot of pink. Be good to grandma, okay? She’s really happy to see you. So grandpa.”

While Robin wasn't Harry's father, he still consider him as one, having being raised by him more than by Des, and Annie has only known him as grandpa and really, it was  lot easier that way.

“I will, daddy! I made them a drawing in school. Do you want to see it?”

“How about you show me after school? Auntie Gemma will pick you up and then she’ll come by daddy’s work and you can show me?”

“Okay! Can I get another cookie  then?”

“Sure, baby. Anything you want. I’ll even make you hot chocolate, alright?”

One positive side to his job is that his manager knew Annie, and that he was, surprisingly, more than okay with Annie stopping by. If anything, working there had been the best work experience he's ever had - and after graduating, he's had quite a few until he just opted for a job Gemma texted him about.

“You ready to go back inside? Daddy has to go back to work, but you’ll see me soon, yeah?”

A pout formed on Annie's lips, but she just nodded, giving Harry a long, tight hug, pressing a wet kiss on his cheek before jumping off the bench and running back inside, the paper bag held securely in her tiny, little hand.

Harry chuckled quietly to himself, head shaking before getting off the bench. His fingers ran through his hair, pushing his curls back and he was back on his way towards the coffee shop. He could definitely consider himself a lucky man. Couldn't even ask for anything better really.

. . .

Classes seem to go on forever and ever, and Louis grew more and more tired by the second, his eyes practically falling shut during one of his professor's their lecture, which he only survived because Niall continued to nudge him every single time he drifted off to sleep.

“Did Zee come back home at six in the morning?”

Niall's whispered voice caused him to glare at him, hands rubbing his eyes firmly to keep himself awake, a yawn being stiffled by his lips pressed firmly shut.

“Don’t get why Liam and Zayn don’t just fuck and get it over with.”

His voice is filled with sleep, another yawn threatening to leave his lips but he covered his mouth enough to make it less noticeable. 

“Something about pride, mate. Pretty sure we’ll have to lock them up in a room.”

That caused Louis to chuckle, head hitting the desk his body was practically slummed against. Niall was right though, they most likely would have to lock the two of them up in a room just so they could have sex and get it over with, giving Louis his sleep back.

When their professor called out they could leave the classroom, Louis couldn't be up in his feet faster than he currently did, his body practically slumped against Niall's when the Irish boy wrapped his arm around Louis' shoulder. 

“How about we skip our last class and just go have a drink so you can go back home and sleep?”

“I think that’s a brilliant plan, Ni. Did I mention how I’m so fucking happy that you’re my best friend?”

“Not enough, clearly. Let’s get outta here.”

The both laughed when they leaved the classroom and walked down the stairs to exit the building, their phones already clutched in their hands and their thumbs scrolling through missed calls and text messages. Louis laughed even louder upon reading one of Lottie's text, which included a photo of Harry, the cute barista from the coffee shop, and herself along with her friends, phone almost instantly turning to Niall's.

“Of course Lottie went to the coffee shop with her mates to spot the new guy. Wonder if she asked him on a date yet.”

That caused Niall to laugh, his laughter causing people to stare at the both of them and for Louis to cover his hand in front of Niall's mouth. 

“Oi! A little less attention drawing, cheers!”

Rolling his eyes, he dragged Niall along with him and off campus, their way almost instantly going for the tube, but not before passing the coffee shop, and surprisingly, it was a lot less crowded. All Louis could see was a couple of customers sitting at several tables, a little blonde girl sitting at the table near the window with a girl who looked oddly similar to Harry, and Harry behind the counter. The second his eyes landed on Harry however, he could see the curly haired boy look right at him, giving him the same dimpled smile he received that morning, and Louis? Well, Louis could only smile, waving is hand just once before looking around him, just to make sure it was at least aimed at him and not someone behind them.

And as odd as it may seem, Louis couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the evening, although that might have something to do with Niall dragging him along to a pub and giving him enough alcohol that would cause him to pass out the second he came home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!!! Sorry it took so long for me to update ( those who've followed my tumblr know I was supposed to update a few days ago, but work has been kicking my ass and that just means all I've been doing when I come home is sleep, really ). That being said ; thank you, thank you, thank you so much for all the kudos and the comments on my first chapter !!!!! I wasn't entirely too sure how the first chapter was going to come across, let alone if people were even going to bother reading it, but then I saw the 'hits' count rise and rise, and I'm just so amazed. So thank you all **so, so, so much**. 
> 
> This chapter is actually a wee bit long, and I'm so sorry about that, but once I started writing, I just couldn't stop ( even though this took me two days to finish - I needed sleep before work ). I hope you like it, and if any of you _ever_ have any ideas for future chapters, don't hesitate to add them into the comments or even send them to me on [tumblr](http://louisdragsmedown.tumblr.com). Feedback is also **always** appreciated. I can't thank the people who've sent me messages on tumblr or even commented on here, enough. It's what made me want to continue writing it in the first place, so thank you again, so much. Also, if anyone has any ideas on how Ziam should _finally_ get together, don't hesitate to leave your ideas as well ( no worries, I'll credit you if I do end up using an idea ). 
> 
> That being said, I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Again I sincerely apologize for the length of this - once I started writing, I honestly couldn't stop. And remember, feedback is always welcomed, whether in comments or on tumblr ! I love to read your thoughts. Unless it's hate, then no thanks.

Saturday mornings were  _always_ Louis' favourites. The simple fact that he could lay in bed until god knows what time of the day and not even remotely care what horrible evening Zayn has had  the previous night, that's what made it just perfect for him. Louis stretched his arms above his head, his entire body stretching along with the movement, toes curling and back arching while a groan left his lips, followed by a yawn. His head turned to the side, eyes taking in the red numbers on the clock, only noting that it was 10:28 in the morning. 

Another groan left Louis' lips. He was definitely up to be awake at ten, especially not on a Saturday, but it seemed he had absolutely no choice. Pushing the duvet off his slim frame, Louis groaned once more before swinging his legs to the side of the bed. Feet touching the soft carpet on the floor, he ran his hand through his hair, messing it up just that much, pushing himself up from the bed.

“Fuckin’ week schedules.”

His voice was still rough with sleep, forcing his feet to walk towards the linked bathroom, hand pushing it open before he shut it seconds later.

Looking at himself in the mirror, he shook his head softly, hands tugging down the sweatpants he had put on last night, along with his boxers, then turned around on his feet. He needed a shower, desperately. Even if it was to just wake him up. See, Louis really didn't feel like going to get a cup of tea at his regular coffee shop, simply for the fact that he knew Saturdays always meant the coffee shop was crowded, and really, Louis did not do crowded at all.

Stepping inside the shower, Louis' head dropped back the second he could feel the water cascading down his back, eyes falling shut and lips parting. If there was  _one_ thing he did enjoy on Saturdays however, it was long,  _long_ showers. 

Thirty minutes later, Louis stepped out of the shower with only a towel wrapped around his waist, steam practically rising from every inch of his skin. Lifting his hand, he rubbed along side of the mirror, removing the steam that coated it, before that same hand ran through his hair, messing it up and making it fall in front of his eyes. Grabbing his toothbrush from the holder, he turned on the tap and held it underneath it for a good ten seconds, easily adding toothpaste on it before shoving it in his mouth, brushing his teeth at such a slow pace it almost reminds him of Sunday. 

A knock on his door caused his head to turn towards it, brows furrowing when his eyes landed on Zayn. Zayn looked horrible. An absolute mess even. To his knowledge however, Zayn hadn't gone out last night, in fact, he'd stayed inside and was home when Louis came back after a couple of drinks with Niall. 

“What the hell happened to you, mate?”

The words were spoken after Louis spit out the foamy toothpaste in the sink, toothbrush being rinsed under the running water before he leaned down and filled his mouth with water, then spit it out as well.

“Don’t know. Woke up feeling like absolute, fucking shit. Haven’t slept since six.”

Zayn's voice sounded rough, even worse than his own sleepy one and really, it made Louis kind of worried.

Wiping his mouth clean with the back of his hand, he then wiped it off on his towel before taking the two steps needed towards Zayn. Squinting his eyes, Louis placed the back of his hand against Zayn's forehead and neck, frown deepening instantly.

“You haven’t got temperature, and your skin isn’t flushed. Did you eat anything shit last night?”

The question was simple really, but when Zayn just shrugged his shoulders, Louis practically felt hopeless at that point. And the actual sound of coffee and tea and a crowded coffee shop didn't even remotely sound that bad.

“Okay, mate. You need’a push Liam outta your head and just move on. This shit ain’t good for you, and you two barely even talk to one another.”

A roll of Louis' eyes followed suit, hand tapping gently on his shoulder, which only caused Zayn to groan in frustration. Shaking his head gently, Louis wrapped an arm around his shoulder and dragged him out of the room towards the kitchen.

“How about this, yeah? I’ll make you a nice cuppa, and you try and sleep for a bit, hmm? Sounds good, doesn’t it?”

“Mmm -- yeah, I reckon.”

Nodding his head, Louis secured the towel around his waist more firmly, taking the kettle and filling it up with water before setting it on the stove.

“You know, man, I’m not the whole…. Romantic type and stuff, but if you try to talk to Li, you both might actually get along. Just a suggestion, of course.”

That earned another groan from Zayn, which only made Louis roll his eyes while taking the whistling kettle from the stove and filling up a cup with the hot water, then tossed in a chamomile teabag in the cup, setting it in front of Zayn.  

Truthfully; Louis  _really_ wasn't the romantic type, but he's seen enough romance movies ( all due to his sisters ) to have picked up one or two things, and his English literature class gave him that extra little bonus. When it came to Zayn and Liam however, it almost felt like a hopeless case. Neither Niall or Louis had any sort of idea how to fix this, and he was  _most definitely_ not up to asking advice from anyone else, because this  _was_ Zayn, and Zayn was his best friend after all ( and his flat mate, so that could  _definitely_ cause some sort of issues there ).

Setting himself down on the stool opposite from Zayn, Louis practically urged Zayn to drink from his cup, Zayn being more than reluctant to do at first, but then complying instantly.

“Good lad.”

...

Harry's fingers were wiggling in Annie's side with ease, earning giggles from the five year old that eventually lead to snorts. 

“Daddy! Stop it! It tickles!”

Annie's words were mixed with giggles and snorts, which only encouraged Harry to tickle her more, before he eventually stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. His sister Gemma was leaning against the kitchen counter, a cup of tea in her hands while Anne and Robin were sitting at the kitchen table, looking down at the two  _kids_ that were laughing.

“Alright, kiddo. Are you going to be good for Grandma and Grandpa?”

“Mhmmmmm!”

“And you’re going to eat all your vegetables, right?

“Yes, daddy! Can I go now???”

Both Gemma and Anne started to laugh, Harry just looking down at Annie with parted lips, a gasp leaving his throat. Forming a pout on his lips, he knelled down on one of his knees before extending his arms, in which Annie instantly crashed into him, tiny arms wrapping around his neck. Harry buried his face in her blonde hair, pressing a soft kiss against the top of his head.

“Love you, pumpkin.”

“Love you too, daddy.”

Giving Annie a quick kiss on her cheek, Harry stood back up on his feet, legs stretching instantly, head turning to look at Anne and Robin before nodding his head. 

Annie quickly ran back towards her room to grab her pink overnight bag, before she came back running towards Anne, handing the bag to Robin. Anne swiftly picked her up in her arms, pressing a kiss to Gemma's cheek, then to Harry's, promising them she'll call them once they're home  and once before Annie went to bed.

Once Anne, Robin and Annie both left the flat, Gemma smacked her lips together, pushing her frame away from the counter.

“Right, so, we’ve got everything, yeah? Paint, stars, glitter and the drawing?”

An eyebrow raised at her own question, gaze fixed on Harry while she took a final sip from her cup, setting it in the sink while Harry nodded his head. 

“Yeah, everything’s sorted. Liam’s gonna drop it all off while I’m at work. Said you two could handle it with Chloe until I finish my shift. You sure it’s gonna be alright? You’ve got everything you need, right?”

Harry's voice was filled with worry, mainly because this was Annie's birthday present, and he really didn't feel like messing it up. Annie was the only reason he'd spend enough money on he took on shifts during the weekends, just to pay her a present every once in awhile.

“Harry. Relax. It’s all sorted. Chlo’s coming over with the glitter and princesses cut-outs and Liam’s taking over the paint and brushes. I’ve got the furniture covered. Just go to work, yeah? Don’t want you to get stressed after work.”

A roll of his eyes followed, fingers running through his hair to push it back. Eventually he sighed, Gemma chuckling before walking over towards him and kissing him on the cheek, patting his chest with one hand. 

“Go to work, little brother. I’ve got everything under control.”

A sigh escaped Harry's lips at Gemma's words before nodding his head. It was futile for him to even remotely argue with his older sister, especially since that would bring up the whole  _I'm the better Styles_ argument, he's been dreading ever since he decided not to go to University.

Grabbing his jacket from the kitchen chair, the one his mum had sat on previously, he slips his long arms into the sleeves, letting Gemma fix his collar ( a typical Styles thing to do really ). His fingers easily take hold of the keys on the table near the door, before he's walking out of the flat and down the flight of stairs. 

Liam had taken the day off  _just_ to help Gemma and Chloe out with Annie's room painting and decorating, and honestly, Harry couldn't have been more grateful. As much as he loves Gemma, and really, he loves her a lot - despite the occasional arguments they have on what Annie should wear or the fact that he  **really** needed a haircut - he felt a little more relieved that Liam would be there to help out. If only so it would help them finish up the room  _before_ Annie came back home from her weekend trip.

Harry hated public transportation on weekends. Everything was that much more crowded, and the worst part is, he had to go past Oxford Street  _and_ Picadilly Circus, two stations that carried the most people in and out. But it was also his safest bet to get to the coffee shop at time, if not before his shift. So he just sucked it up and found a spot near one of the doors, his phone held securely in his hands and his earphones plugged into his ears with McBusted's Airguitar playing through them.

Licking his lips slowly,  Harry's thumb scrolled through several photos his mum had already sent. Annie in front of big chocolate cake, in front of a slice of chocolate cake, biting into one to eventually have the final photo of her mouth covered in chocolate as well as her hands. It caused him to chuckle, and to miss her already.

It's not that Harry wasn't the type of parent who could leave their children for the weekend, but, well,  _he was_. Annie had been with him ever since she was born, well, other than the hours he'd spent in school or the hours he was at work, but he knew that she was still at home or in school as well. This, however, this was their  _first_ weekend separated in a long time, one were Annie wouldn't come home on Sunday but on Monday evening. 

‘ _don’t give her too much chocolate mum xx_ ’

The text was sent rather quickly, very grateful for O2's WiFi in the tube at that current moment, but it also caused him to chew on his bottom lip, worry settling in that maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't be able to finish Annie's room in time for when she came back.

...

Much to his previous agreement, Louis had found himself at the coffee shop anyways. Instead of ordering tea on the go, however, he had taken a cup and sat himself down on one of the tables at the back, a book he had to read for Uni sitting next to his cup along with his phone.

To his own surprise however, the coffee shop wasn't that crowded, and he actually managed to get a  table on his own, which was definitely better than what he could have hoped for during the week. 

Louis licked his lips slowly, fingers taking hold of the cup and bringing it to his lips; the hot liquid burned his tongue but also made him feel a whole lot warmer than before. Glancing back up from the cup towards the other people in the small space, his eyes landed straight on the guy who gave him his cup of tea a couple of days ago. 

“ _I’m Harry._ ”

Okay, well  _maybe_ that wasn't exactly what was being said, but it was enough for Louis to remember his name. That and that dimpled smile of his and those green eyes that seemed just a little too green under the lights. Hey, it wasn't exactly Louis' fault, now was it? Harry was  _just there_ and well, there were a good dozen of girls there squealing and screeching over the fact that Harry was their new barista.

Setting his cup back down on the table, Louis finally lifted the book he had taken with him, putting one earbud in his left ear, the other in his right, then pressed play on the playlist of his phone. 

[Halsey's Is There Somewhere](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=686SmDtBOu8) started to blast through his speakers, Louis settling down into the small soft he had taken a seat on, fingers flipping open the book at the last page he had started reading last night.

Harry grabbed his apron from behind the counter, tying it up around his waist, white shirt easily bunching up around his slim waist, but that didn't even bother Harry. The second his mind started thinking of work, that's where it usually stayed, and so far, it had been a really good technique.

Despite his previous couple of days standing behind the counter and taking orders, Harry was on waited duty today. Liam had said it had to do with the room painting, and well, Harry was more than okay with that, because it kept his mind rolling and his energy high up there. Most people on the other hand, would have complained about taking orders to customers at their table or taking empty trays from tables to bring them to the kitchen in the back, but Harry was happy with whatever he did.

Taking a notepad from the apron and a pen, Harry headed for the first table, taking two orders of coffee and two scones, before swiftly moving to a second table. He managed to take three different orders before dropping it the papers off at the counter, promising the customers their order would be with them soon, before repeating the process all over again until he covered nearly everyone. Nearly.

His feet stopped in front of Louis' table, thumb clicking down the button of the pen and notepad securely in his left hand. Okay, so, Harry wasn't exactly the type of person to stand there and be creepy, but well, Louis  _was_ rather adorable like that, with a book covering most of his face and his fringe messily in front of his forehead, several strands brushing against his eyelashes when he blinked. Of course he wasn't staring, or taking any of that in. That would be absolutely mental, right?  _Right_. Except, he was doing  _just_ that, and he felt incredibly embarrassed about that. _  
_

Harry cleared his throat, index finger tapping gently against the notepad while green eyes looked down at the boy reading a book.

It isn't until several minutes later and Harry dropping off two trays with customers at two other tables that Louis set his book down, taking his cup back in hand finishing it off and Harry showed back up at his table, dimpled smile on his lips and eyes looking down at him.

Louis looked up at Harry with a confused expression, seeing his lips move but not hearing a thing that's being said. 

Frowning at him, Louis removed one of the earbuds that was in his ear, head tilting to the side instantly.

“What?”

“I asked if you wanted a refill? Or maybe you want to order something else?”

Louis' eyebrow stayed raised, head tilting to the other side before looking down at the empty cup on the table. Realization then hit him, lips parted before shrugging his shoulders.

“How about you surprise me? Hmm?”

That caused Harry's lips to quirk up in smile, thoughts instantly running through his head. Nodding his head, he scribbled down something on the notepad.

“Anything to eat or do I add that to the whole surprise thing?”

Harry's voice was calm, and it actually surprised Louis, because the last time he hard him speak, it was loud and cheerful. Then again, the atmosphere around the coffee shop was a whole lot different then than it was now. Pursing his lips, Louis eventually shook his head, lips quirking up in a small smile, body leaning back into the arm chair.

Receiving a final nod from Harry before he disappeared back towards the counter and his other waiter duties, Louis plopped the earbud back into his ear, hardly having paid attention to the switch of songs until he no longer could hear Ed Sheeran's I See Fire, the song that played when Harry stood in front of him, but could instead hear Arctic Monkeys' Arrabella.

Several minutes later and Harry's back at Louis' table. A tray was being held by a large hand, Harry setting it down with ease when Louis removed his phone from the table.

“So. What’d you get me then?”

“Try it and you’ll see. Can’t spoil a surprise now can I? Enjoy.”

For some godforsaken reason, Harry seemed to get under Louis' skin. Whether it was the dimpled smile that was nothing but natural, or the fact that Harry had such a calm demeanor; he doesn't know, but he's going to end up figuring it out one way or the other. But not right now. Right now, the pastry and the drink in front of him practically screamed his name. And Louis couldn't ignore the little art in the coffee, that seemed to smile it's way up to him. Because Harry had purposely put a smiley face in there.

Louis sighed, leaning his elbows on his knees and eyes just looked down at the coffee and pastry Harry had brought him. 

Pursing his lips, he took the cup in his hand and brought it up to his lip, taking a slow sip from it, almost as if he was making sure not to burn his tongue. The second the hot liquid his tongue however, Louis couldn't help the moan that left his lips.

“What the fuck?”

He was surprised by his own words, or the sound that left his lips, but whatever Harry had served him, it was amazing. 

Harry's lips quirked up in a smile when he noticed Louis' reaction to the cup. Now he was more than curious to see his reaction to the pastry. The second Louis brought it up to his mouth and took a bite in it, he could tell how his eyes fell shut and his lips curled up in a smile. 

_Success._

That was enough for Harry to be proud of himself.  Even prouder than when Annie gets all giggly when she has chocolate chip pancakes in the morning with extra, extra syrup on the side.

Louis was amazed, to say the least. Honestly, how could someone even make such a cup of coffee, let alone that pastry? He's not even sure, but holy fuck is all he could think at that point, his hands wrapped around the large mug, body leaning back in the arm chair as if he was lucky enough to witness some sort of celebrity type of coffee.

With a smile on his lips, Harry removed the apron from around his waist, setting it down behind the counter, eyes looking up at the clock. 

“Alright, Li gave me the rest of the afternoon off to finish Annie’s room. If you need any back-up, just call me up, yeah?”

“Relax. Go get Annie’s room done. And don’t forget to record her reaction, yeah? You know how much Li hates that he can’t see it.”

Harry let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head before slapping one of his hands on top of Josh's shoulder.

“I’ve got it covered. Don’t make fun of the glitter he’ll probably have on his face.”

That caused Josh to laugh, head shaking before he continued on with the order he was making.

The second Louis looked up, almost as if he was searching for the boy who made him a perfect coffee order, he saw Harry walk out of the coffee shop. 

...

The front door of his flat slammed shut, before all there was heard were the sounds of boots clicking against the wooden floor, before it changed to two loud thuds. 

“Harry! Get your skinny arse in here.”

Gemma's voice was loud over the music that was coming from Annie's room, but Harry chuckled nonetheless. Tossing his jacket on the large sofa in the living room, he stretched his arms over his head while walking towards the room.

“I come bearing glitter and paint brushes.”

“Finally. Did you get enough glitter? Can’t be arsed going to the shop on a Saturday evening.”

“Relax, Gem. I’ve got it. If not, I’ll go on Monday. I’m pretty sure Annie would love to throw glitter on the wall to make it just perfect.”

He pronounced the final two words with a lightly pitched voice, causing both Gemma and Chloe to laugh before handing him a paint brush.

“Then let’s get to work. Liam’s sketching the stars to put around the Princess’ magic wand.”

Harry took the paint brush from Chloe, dipping it into pink paint before starting to paint the wall.

After a good forty-five minutes, the wall looked perfectly pink, Harry, Chloe and Gemma taking a step back to observe their work. 

Gemma's lips pursed, eyes looking at the wall, head tilting to the left then the right. Chloe did the exact same thing, before nodding her head as well.

“I think we did quite alright, yeah?”

“Yeah, I really think we did. Now where’s Liam?”

All three looked at one another, before setting the paintbrushes on the plastic covered floor and walked out of the room. The second the three of them walked inside the living room, they found Liam sleeping on the kitchen table, light snores filling the room. Gemma's hand covered her mouth the second a chuckle left her lips, having to turn around instantly in case she ended up laughing louder than expected, and in turn would wake Liam up.

Harry took it upon himself to wake Liam up, gently tapping the boy on his shoulder. Liam startled awake within seconds, head lifting up to reveal one of the stars sticking to his cheek which only caused Gemma to laugh louder and Chloe to peel the star from his cheek.

“Nice… Decoration, Liam. Suits you very well.”

Another giggle follows, and Harry is sure that if he looked back at Gemma, he'd find her leaning against the wall, hands cradling her face and shoulders shaking with the amount of effort she's trying not to laugh.

“Shit… I fell asleep, right?”

“Yeah, mate, you did. What kept you up all night?”

Liam’s look made Harry regret his question all together, knowing full and well Zayn had kept him up all night.

Chloe took several steps back, not even remotely wanting in the conversation she figured would happen, but when Liam sat up a little straighter and Harry crossed his arms over his chest, the whole room seemed to tense up just a little more, Gemma’s giggling coming to a full stop.

“How ‘bout I go and talk to Zayn, yeah? Sort all of this out. You two can’t stop bloody avoiding one another over one bloody arguement, can you? Because of damn Batman.”

Harr regretted his words all together, because Liam’s eyebrows furrowed and his lips parted as if he was ready to say something in return.

“Alright. You go finish those stars with Gem and Chlo, and I’ll go have a chat with Zee. If I don’t come back in an hour, call the police.”

Liam snorted at  that, giving Harry a pat on the shoulder. Turning to look at Gemma, the blonde already nodded her head with a knowing look, giving him a smile as if she understood exactly what he was saying when he looked at her. Honestly, he wouldn't know what to do if he didn't have his big sister there to help him out at times.

Harry didn't bother grabbing his jacket, knowing full and well that the weather was far  too warm for it, and knowing the short walk to Zayn's flat would only cause him to be annoyed at himself for even taking it with him in the first place. He did push his phone in the backpocket of his skinny jeans and took hold of his keys in his hand. Glancing over his shoulder at the three that remained in the kitchen, Harry shook his head again, pulling the door of his flat open and closing it behind him seconds later.

...

The flat was empty, and Louis was more than surprised at that. See, he would have expected Zayn to still be laying about on the sofa, mopping over an argument that Louis didn't even remotely understand, and he definitely didn't try to understand for that matter.

Humming quietly to himself, he padded from the kitchen towards the living room, a cup of tea held securely in his hand before he plopped down on the sofa. Stretching his legs instantly, head dropping back down on one of the pillows he propped up before he made his cup of tea. 

After spending what felt like hours at the coffee shop, reading a book he wasn't all that seemingly interested in, Louis had decided to just pack up his things and go home, the scent of coffee and the sound of people talking around him, despite the music that was playing, becoming just a little too much for the boy.

So now he was taking full advantage of the fact that he had the whole flat to himself, and with full advantage, he definitely meant spending the rest of the day in his sweatpants and sweater, barefoot, drinking cups of tea, eating crisps and watching recorded footie games on the TV. It didn't take  _all that much_ to please Louis honestly. Although he was tempted to put Spiderman on, just for the occasional change.

His attention was easily drawn from the telly however, for some reason more than bothered with the mess Zayn had left behind. Usually, Louis was the type of person to leave messes behind; a dirty shirt, a sweater laying about on the sofa, a half empty tea cup on the kitchen table while another was in the sink. And that wasn't talking about the scattered clothes that covered his bedroom floor, although really, it wasn't  _that_ _bad_ per say. 

Zayn, however, had decided to leave paper bags of empty cookies, muffins and whatever he had decided to buy at Tesco, on the kitchen table, a water bottle here, another there; to summarize it, even for Louis, it was pigsty. 

A groan left his throat. Setting his cup on the small table that separated the telly from the sofa, he pushed himself up reluctantly, arms stretching above his head and head tilting back just a little until he could hear a faint cracking sound that only made him smile softly. The longer he stretched though, the more the sound began to sound like a yawn, realizing just how tired he actually was.

“Fuckin’ Zayn and his depressive state over a bloody Batman discussion.”

The words are mumbled between pressed lips, feet carrying him towards the kitchen where he started to clean up first. Picking up the paper bags from the table, he tossed them in an empty Tesco bag, doing the exact same thing with used tea bags, which admittedly, some might have been his, but not all since he didn't even bother making himself tea other than one cup that was sitting on the coffee table, just waiting for him to finish it up. Then, he moved on to the empty cups, glasses and even beer bottles he  _knows_ wasn't him, the latter one that is, setting them all down on the kitchen counter with a mental note to bring them down to the glass container in front of their building. 

Louis easily made a quick pace for himself, going from one thing to another until the kitchen was clean... Or as clean as could be when you were named Louis Tomlinson and hated cleaning up.

Taking quick strides back towards his cup, he took two longs sip before setting it back down, muttering something to himself about how he hated tea getting cold and that Zayn would pay for it. His next attention span would definitely be the clothes on the floor. Granted, some might have been his, but then again, he hadn't been the person to come home at six in the morning, undress and toss his clothes everywhere before falling asleep half naked on the sofa. 

He licked his bottom lip slowly, picking up Zayn's clothes, and his own at the same time, and threw them in the hamper. He knew he should probably make a mental note to do laundry soon, but really, it  _was_ Zayn's turn, and Louis wasn't exactly the type of person to separate the whites from the colours. The result still being that one of his favourite white shirts was now pink thanks to one of his old, red trousers.

Humming quietly to himself, Louis decided that cleaning up the remainder of the flat wouldn't be such a bad idea, and since they were going to end up doing laundry anyways, he picked up the clothes that laid around on his bedroom floor, tossing them into the hamper on top of Zayn's.

Thirty minutes later and Louis plopped down on the sofa again, a new cup of tea in hand and his legs stretched entirely on the couch. 

“Why the fucking hell did no one tell me cleaning up was fucking rough? Never doing that shit again.”

The words are muttered to himself, but his nose scrunched up in disgust and really, Louis was already thinking of ways to make Zayn repay him. Whether it be in food, alcohol or book reading, he wasn't sure yet.

His full attention was back on the telly, lifting his cup up to his lips to take a well deserved, long  **hot** sip from the drink, lips quirking up in a content smile.  **  
**

Fingers occasionally tapping the center button of his iPhone, Louis was actually fucking proud of himself for once, not that he usually wasn't when he finished an essay, but doing chores? That was a definite first for him.

After one footie game fully watched, and a whole lot of yelling on Louis' part, even though he'd already seen the game before, he turned the telly on to a music channel, being met with an Ed Sheeran music video that somehow always seemed to make him sing along.

Pushing himself up from the sofa, Louis picked his cup up from the coffee table, once more stretching his arms over his head before walking towards the kitchen and dumping the cup into the sink filled with water. Seeing as how he'd cleaned up, he might as well reward himself, somehow.

His fingers found the pack of cigarettes he knew Zayn kept hidden in one of the drawers and pulled one out, placing it in between his lips. The lighter that was in the pack was easily brought up to light the cigarette before returning it in the pack and placing it back on it's original spot, an instant drag following suit, eyes firmly shut. 

He didn't smoke often. But he did smoke when he felt stressed or just needed a small break from everything and everyone, even if it only lasted  for a whole six minutes; it felt good at times. The smoke left his lips at a slow pace, his head dropping back and his hip leaning against the counter, and god, did it feel good at that current moment. Louis knew that Zayn would probably be able to smell the smoke when he came, but he didn't care at that point, all he cared about was the warmth that rushed into his lungs before it blew out through his lips, finger dabbing the white stick every time ash formed at the end until he tossed it in a half empty pepsi can. 

Turning around on his heel, he made his way back towards the hamper, sorting out the colours as best as he could, because really, he knew their laundry wouldn't be done for another week, and he couldn't afford to go through his entire closet and find another jumper he actually liked, the only one he knew still being in there was the one his mum had gotten him for Christmas seven years ago. 

Separating the white colours from the coloured ones, he tossed the coloured ones to one side of the hallway, the white ones on the other, sitting cross-legged on the floor, his sweater pooling around his waist. His eyes were focused, paying attention to every single piece of clothing he took in his hand until he was finished and triumphant cheer left his lips, arms raising up in the air. 

‘ _sorted all my clothes. going to do laundry ;) x_ ’

The text was sent to his mum with an added photo of his achievement, and he was met with twenty emojis varying from party emojis, to smiling faces to balloons. 

Pushing his small frame up from the ground, he picked up the white coloured clothes and put them in one hamper, then did the exact same thing with the coloured clothes, putting them in another hamper. He pursed his lips for several seconds,  then grabbed the laundry detergent and fabric softener for coloured clothes and tossed them in the hamper on top of the clothes, doing the same thing with a laundry detergent for white clothes. 

Really though, his mum should be proud of him at that current moment. 

Louis picked the hamper with coloured clothes and carried them towards the hallway, slipping his vans back on his feet and running his fingers through his hair just enough to mess it right up again.

His tongue flickered out of his mouth to lick his lips quickly, lifting the basket up enough to rest it on the top of his thigh before tugging his keys in the back pocket of his skinny jeans, relieved it was only two keys he needed with him and not the whole lot around the hoop that Zayn had made him do just in case he had lost a key himself.

Pulling open the door, Louis' basket was met with something solid, and for a second, he figured he'd walked into his door frame, but when his eyes looked towards the culprit - a white shirt covered with pink stains on them - his head lifted up to be met with curly hair and green eyes he very much remembered from earlier that day. 

“Two questions. Are you stalking me? And why the fucking hell do you have pink paint all over you?”

Harry's laugh was loud in his ears, and that dimpled smile was back on his lips. Why did it seem like all this boy did was smile? What the hell did he have to be so happy about all the time, because really, Louis didn't understand it at all.

**Author's Note:**

> The title of the fic comes from one of my favourite songs by Tyler Ward, you should definitely check him out! 
> 
> Don't forget to hit me up on [tumblr](http://louisdragsmedown.tumblr.com) if you want to !


End file.
